This 92-5-3 blend of Pallagrello Nero, Aglianico and Casavecchia from Nanni Copè vineyards, some of which are about 150 years old, shows enormous balance in a vintage that was hot and not easy to farm. The 2017 Sabbie di Sopra il Bosco shows a dark ruby appearance and tight textural richness. Its acidity is well defined despite the heat of the vintage. In fact, there's much more freshness and tannic focus than I would have expected. This is a wine to put aside in your cellars for five to ten more years. Production stands at 7,720 bottles and 120 magnums.

I'm on the fence. Giovanni Ascione tells me this is the best vintage he has ever made. I am less satisfied, however, with the purity of the bouquet displayed by the 2016 Sabbie di Sopra il Bosco. Of the various vintages I have tasted (starting with 2010), this is my least favorite. I am distracted by a note of impurity—a musty note—that I fear will worsen with time. This is definitely a wine of character, with its imperfections and all. I would suggest drinking it young while those primary notes of black cherry and plum are still intact. Production includes 7,630 750-milliliter bottles and 120 magnums.

The 2014 Sabbie di Sopra il Bosco is a large-scale red wine that delivers an impressive performance. This vintage is slightly leaner in terms of mouthfeel compared to past editions, but not by much. In fact, the bouquet is richly endowed with black fruit, spice, tobacco and toasted espresso bean. Dark blackberry and plum sits at its core. The blend of grapes used is 90% Pallagrello Nero with tiny parts Aglianico and Casavecchia. Cured meat and spicy tobacco add momentum to the long finish.

This wine consists mostly of the Pallagrello Nero grape, with small percentages of Aglianico and Casavecchia in the blend. The 2013 Sabbie di Sopra il Bosco is a full and intense wine that has the structure and natural acidity to face another decade of cellar aging. I just love the generosity of this wine and its deep layering of aromas and flavors. They stack up tall. Fruit is sourced from the Vigna Sopra il Bosco plot with 30-year-old vines as well as the Vigna Scarrupata with ancient, 140-year-old plants.

The 2012 Sabbie di Sopra il Bosco is a balanced and polished red wine that does not hold back in terms of power or intensity. That extra muscle comes from the steady summer heat of the 2012 vintage. Pallagrello Nero is blended with 10% Aglianico and Casavecchia. The Pallagrello gives the wine fiber and succulence, but the two other grapes add firmness and backbone. This wine is already showing signs of elegant evolution.